2000
#12,705
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,232
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.83
Rare Last name
Vess
Derived from the German word "Fass," referring to a barrel or cask maker or someone who lived near barrels.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,376 Americans carry the last name Vess. That puts it at #13,940 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.69 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 144,257 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Vess surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
2.4K
1 in 144,257
Census rank
#13,940
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,072 bearers of the surname Vess in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.69 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13940th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Vess, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Vess
The surname VESS is believed to have originated in Hungary, with its roots dating back to the medieval period. It is thought to be a derivation of the Hungarian word "vész," which translates to "danger" or "peril." This surname may have been initially assigned to individuals who lived in or near hazardous areas or who dealt with occupations that involved a certain level of risk.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the VESS surname can be found in the Regestrum Varadiense, a collection of medieval legal records from the Bishopric of Várad (present-day Oradea, Romania). This document, dating back to the 13th century, contains entries related to legal disputes and transactions involving individuals bearing the VESS name.
During the 15th century, the VESS surname appeared in various Hungarian historical records, such as land registries and census documents. For instance, a certain Péter VESS was documented as a landowner in the village of Kőrösladány in 1487.
The VESS surname has also been associated with several notable figures throughout history. One such individual was János VESS (1536-1589), a Hungarian Protestant minister and writer who played a significant role in the Reformation movement in Hungary. Another notable bearer of the VESS name was Pál VESS (1789-1857), a Hungarian composer and violinist who made contributions to the development of Hungarian folk music.
In the 19th century, the VESS surname gained prominence with the birth of Ármin VESS (1858-1922), a Hungarian painter and graphic artist known for his landscapes and illustrations. His works are housed in several museums and galleries across Hungary and Europe.
Another individual of note was Gábor VESS (1910-1968), a Hungarian-American actor and filmmaker who appeared in numerous Hollywood productions during the mid-20th century. He is best remembered for his roles in films such as "Casablanca" (1942) and "The Maltese Falcon" (1941).
While the VESS surname has its origins in Hungary, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and intermarriage. However, its historical roots and connections to Hungarian culture and language remain strong.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Vess
Among Census respondents with the surname Vess, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Vess bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Vess surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.3% · 1,872
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 78
- Two or more races3.5% · 72
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 18
- Black or African American0.8% · 16
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 16
Timeline
Historical Census data for Vess
Vess appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#13,397
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,274
+42 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.77
Rank movement Down 692 places
2020
#13,940
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,072
-202 bearers (-8.9%)
Per 100,000 0.69
Rank movement Down 543 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,705 | 2,232 | 0.83 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,397 | 2,274 | 0.77 | +42 bearers (+1.9%) | Down 692 places |
| 2020 | #13,940 | 2,072 | 0.69 | -202 bearers (-8.9%) | Down 543 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Vess surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #13,397 | #13,940 | -4.1% |
| Count | 2,274 | 2,072 | -8.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.77 | 0.69 | -10.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Vess bearers went from 2,274 to 2,072 (-8.9% change). The surname moved down 543 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,397 to #13,940.
FAQ
Vess surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Vess?
Name Census estimates that about 2,376 living Americans carry the surname Vess. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 144,257 residents.
How common is Vess?
Vess ranks #13,940 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.69 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,072 people with the surname Vess. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,376), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.69 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.69 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Vess.
Has Vess become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Vess went from 2,274 recorded bearers to 2,072. That is a decrease of 202 (-8.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,397 to #13,940.
What does the Census say about the background of Vess?
Among Census respondents with the surname Vess, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.5%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Vess in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.3% (1,872 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Vess appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.3%), Hispanic (3.8%), Two or More Races (3.5%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Vess (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Vess mean?
Derived from the German word "Fass," referring to a barrel or cask maker or someone who lived near barrels. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Vess (0.69 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Vess?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Vess at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.